The launch of 6 more intra-city bus routes offering subsidised ticket fares in Da Nang took place on 1 July, thereby bringing the city’s total number to 12. The city authorities are now focusing on encouraging even more residents and visitors to travel by bus in the coming time.

A bus ticket seller on duty aboard a bus operating the Nguyen Tat Thanh- Xuan Dieu Bus Station route

Three out of the 6 new intra-city bus routes have already put into operation, namely the former Han River Port - Hoa Tien Commune, Hoa Vang District; the former Han River Port - the Hoa Vang District Administration Centre; and Inter-provincial Coach Station to the Tho Quang Ward, Son Tra District. The remaining routes, namely the Inter-provincial Coach Station - the Marble Mountains Tourist Area, the 29-3 Park to the High - Tech Park and the Kim Lien the Korea-Viet Nam Friendship Information Technology Junior College, will be put into operation next month.

In order to attract more bus passengers, following the municipal administration’s approval, all local residents and visitors are allowed to travel free of charge on the 6 routes for the 30 days after their official launch.

The Da Nang Traffic Lights and Public Transport Management Centre (DATRAMAC) has conducted many publicity activities for the 6 new intra-city bus routes at 50 wards and communes and 30 schools throughout the city. More than 10,000 copies of publicity documents and 20,000 bus maps in total have been delivered to locals, including school pupils and university and junior college students.

In the coming time, DATRAMAC-launched publicity sessions will take place at schools and junior colleges, universities and industrial parks across the city.

Currently, DATRAMAC is promoting the use of an app for public bus routes (DanaBus) available on both iOS and Android operating systems in English and Vietnamese. Using the app, commuters can easily seek the information about the Da Nang bus routes and their schedules, and then find suitable buses for their trips.

With Danabus’s convenient features, its users can easily search for routes and determine the distance from departure and arrival points on their smartphones. They need only type in their location and destination. Soon after, the app will guide them to the nearest bus station or bus stop, and shows the route and timetable. Moreover, the users can know exactly the bus arrival time to reduce the waiting time.

Passengers waiting for buses at the Xuan Dieu Bus Station

For detail information on the bus routes, bus users can visit www.Danangbus.vn and the Danabus facebook, or make a call to the hotline 02363.711.468 for instructions.

Buses, all equipped with air conditioning, operate daily on these routes every 10 - 20 minutes from 5.30am to 9.00pm.

To date, all of the buses operating in the city have been fully equipped with global positioning system (GPS) under the instructions of the Ministry of Transport. The installation of GPS in buses aims to monitor the service quality, and detect bus routes-related violations, including exceeding the speed limits, overtaking recklessly, crossing red light, not stopping at bus stops, and picking up and dropping off passengers at prohibited locations.

Also, drivers and assistants always show their enthusiastic attitude and friendly behaviour towards their passengers.

A commuter, however, suggested that ramps be installed so that the disabled can find it easier to get on and off buses.

According to the municipal Department of Transportation, in the first half of this year, the city’s public buses transported a combined total of 3 million passengers. Of this figure, 1.7 million passengers travelled on subsidised intra-city buses and the remainder used inter-provincial ones. The average number of passengers on one bus stood at 16.4.